neuroscience and psychology notes 2020 · neuroscience and psychology notes 2020 sharon geary 3...

Neuroscience and Psychology Notes 2020

Sharon Geary

1

https://www.livescience.com/22665-nervous-system.html Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system its structure (anatomy), how it works (physiology) and what is happening on the smallest levels inside each cell. We will focus on this especially in relation to behaviour and learning.

The nervous system includes the brain, the spinal cord and every nerve throughout your whole body. Your central nervous system is where we focus most of the course and it is made up on the brain and spinal cord. The main cells of your nervous system are your neurons. There are different types and shapes of neurons. We will go over these in more detail later in the notes.

Psychology is the study of the human mind, what it does and why it does it. Especially focused on behaviour in relation to the world around us. There is a few different areas of focus with in the field of psychology such as:

1. Cognitive and perceptual psychology 2. Developmental psychology 3. Neuropsychology (focus here is on the overlap between neuroscience and

psychology) 4. Social psychology 5. Experimental psychology 6. Engineering psychology

And more…. You may have questions about a few of these, there will be examples in the upcoming classes.


Sharon Geary

2

The Central Nervous System The brain has 2 halves left and right, these are called hemispheres. Each of these is made up of 4 lobes on it outer surface, collectively called the cerebrum. These are connected in the centre by the corpus callosum. Sensation: is the process that allows our brains to take in information. Perception: refers to the way sensory information is organized, interpreted, and consciously experienced.

Organisation of tasks: Frontal lobe Personality, behaviour, planning, problem solving, speaking and writing, body movements, concentration and more. Parietal lobe Interprets words, sense of touch pain temperature, incorporates signals from vision, hearing, motor, sensory and memory, important for spatial and visual perception.

Occipital lobe: interprets vision (colour light and movement) Temporal lobe: understanding language, memory, hearing and organisation. Your brain connects with your body through your spinal cord. This is made up of long nerves that go from your brain down through the spine where they connect with nerves that go out all over your body those nerves together are called your peripheral nervous system. Both the Brian and the spinal cord and protected by bone and Cerebrospinal fluid.


Sharon Geary

3

Nerves Nerves are the smallest functional unit of the nervous system. They pass information along there axon (the long bit). The dendrites take in signals from the axon terminals of other neurons. The axon terminals release neurotransmitters that are taken up by the dendrites of the next

neuron. Examples of these neurotransmitters include adrenaline, dopamine, serotonin & GABA. The myelin sheath in the peripheral nervous system is made up of Schwann cells. In the central nervous system it is made of oligodendrocytes. No matter where it is the myelin sheath is it provides insulation to keep the signals going where they are meant to along the axon of the neuron. They help information travel faster.

Within the neuron the information is passed like

electricity. A synapse is where two neurons meet and pass on

information. This is where neuro transmitters are released into the

synaptic cleft.

Glial cells are the support cells in the nervous system. Astrocytes and microglial cells provide protection from disease and nourishment. Ependymal cells produce cerebrospinal fluid.


Sharon Geary

4

Consciousness: the state of being aware of and responsive to your surroundings. Reflexes: an action that is performed without conscious thought as a response to a stimulus. For example people typically blink about 15 times per minute. If you are awake for 16 hours each day, then you blink approximately 14,400 each day! You have an autonomic nervous system. This is the branch of your peripheral nervous system that is not under your conscious control. It controls many of the basic functions of your body such as breathing. There is 2 sections to it:

1. Parasympathetic - rest and digest 2. Sympathetic - fight or flight


Sharon Geary

5

Development The nervous system can make up to half of the growing baby before birth. The size a birth is 25% of adult size. While a baby is only 5% of adult weight.

We don’t grow more neurons the neurons get bigger and longer. Most of the brain growth is myelination. Final size reached age 7. when you are still only a 3rd the size of an adult. Babies learning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WanGt1G6ScA The growth of knowledge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nz2dtv--ok&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtOPRKzVLY0jJY-uHOH9KVU6&t=0s Sleep is necessary for normal functioning. Little is still known about this time. We discussed how we can study the brain while sleeping using functional scanners such as EEG (electroencephalogram). We know that the brain is still active during sleep. Just in a different way. It is important for our memory stores it is thought that long term memories are coded as we sleep. How do we know when to sleep? Sleep and circadian rhythm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8ZXOfWUbms


Sharon Geary

6

The Senses https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJicmE8fK0EiMhdRN_ietlG15aolUC2be – Here are some nice videos exploring questions about our senses. As we learnt in our classes we learnt that there is a lot more then 5 senses. In our skin alone we can sense touch, pain, pressure temperature. We also leant about the eyes in the different ways we were able to see the way our brain alters our perception. One test for this was we checked where our blind spot is.

Another adaptation to this is to draw a straight line through like this: If you are looking at the dot and move until the cross is in you blind spot the brain fills it in as a continuation if the line. If this is difficult try draw it out bigger yourself. There is also many auditory illusions as well. Here is one we did not discuss in class but was requested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDiXQl7grPQ


Sharon Geary

7

The enteric nervous system: This system is made up of the nerves in your gut. This is a growing area of research as it is now thought that these nerves may impact your mood and your brains ability to think and learn. These nerves use neuro-transmitters such as serotonin and dopamine to communicate. Serotonin and dopamine is responsible for mood regulation in the central nervous system. This system of neurones communicates information with the brain. Even if this communication is broken. These nerves still function on their own. This complex collection of nerves maintains its own reflexes without connection with the central nervous system, acting like a small brain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3Ftj5E90tY

The limbic system: is made up of the hypothalamus, amygdala thalamus and hippocampus. Hypothalamus gets signals from the limbic system and sends it on to the Base of the brain. It links in with Autonomic nervous

system. This is why you have a physical reaction to extreme emotions. The frontal cortex communicates in both directions with the limbic system to integrate and understand emotions. The limbic system plays an important role in learning and emotions. HM and his life without a hippocampus - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkaXNvzE4pk We discussed behaviour and Motivation. Homeostasis: is the maintenance of a constant internal environment with in a body. One example of this is that you will stay at the ideal body temperature regardless of the day. If it’s a warm day you may sweat and if its cold you may shiver.


Sharon Geary

8

Motivation: that which energizes and directs behaviour. Drive: an arousal state resulting from a biological/ psychological need. Basic needs: hunger, thirst and sleep. Intellectual stimulation: boredom and curiosity.

We discussed drive reduction theory for motivation.Based on concepts of homeostasis deviation from the optimal state activates a drive which brings about corrective action. Return to optimal state leads to drive reduction. there are some things that motivate us that this doesn’t apply to. Can you remember what these are? Learning and Memory Refers to the processes of:

• Acquiring information • Storing it in the brain • Subsequent retrieval and use

If you have any questions regarding these notes or anything mentioned in the class please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with the new class format.

Psychologyȱ8ȱed.,ȱDavidȱMyersȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱModuleȱ34ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱPowerPointȱSlides,ȱAneeqȱAhmadȱ 3

7

DriveȬReductionȱTheory

WhenȱtheȱinstinctȱtheoryȱofȱmotivationȱfailedȱitȱwasȱreplacedȱbyȱdriveȬreductionȱtheory.ȱ

Physiologicalȱneedȱcreatesȱanȱarousedȱtensionȱstateȱ(aȱdrive)ȱthatȱmotivatesȱanȱorganismȱtoȱ

satisfyȱtheȱneedȱ(Hull,ȱ1951).

OBJECTIVEȱ34Ȭ3|ȱExplainȱhowȱdriveȬreductionȱ

theoryȱviewsȱhumanȱmotivation.ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

8

DriveȱReduction

Food DriveReduction

Organism

Physiologicalȱaimȱofȱdriveȱreductionȱisȱhomeostasis – maintenanceȱofȱsteadyȱinternalȱ

state,ȱe.g.,ȱmaintenanceȱofȱsteadyȱbodyȱtemperature.

StomachȱFullEmptyȱStomach(FoodȱDeprived)

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

9

Incentive

Whereȱourȱneedsȱpush, incentives (positiveȱorȱnegativeȱstimuli)ȱpull usȱinȱreducingȱourȱdrives.

AȱfoodȬdeprivedȱpersonȱwhoȱsmellsȱbakingȱbread(incentive)ȱfeelsȱstrongȱhungerȱdrive.

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ

___________________________________ȱ


Sharon Geary

9

neuroscience and psychology notes 2020 · neuroscience and psychology notes 2020 sharon geary 3...

Documents